Vikings in the top 10!!! Looks like they may not be getting looked over for much longer...granted all will be seen for real come Monday night vs. the Pats. In truth, that goes both ways...either way I ask you "Is it Monday yet?"

The only thing I really think should be different is I still think the Raiders are the worst team. If they play well this week I would be willing to chang my mind, but I think the Cardinals were going to lose that game regardless of who they played. They were coming off a heartbreaking loss to the consensus #1 team with a short week against a team that Im sure they were looking passed and that knew that was their best chance to avoid a 0-16 season.

Ok, I've spent way too much time talking about #31 and #32. Overall, nice job.

I think the pats have to be in front of the Broncos for the #3 spot, the broncos offense is just so pathetic, except for tatum bell. But Pats #3, Broncos #4. And of course you gotta love the Bears at #1 again :-)

Here's what I don't get about the Falcons (9) and Steelers (20)... the Steelers dominated that game, but had untimely turnovers. They were on the road in a loud stadium, and the Falcons only won because they won the coin toss in overtime (had Pittsburgh won the toss, they would have scored as well).

So, if the coin toss goes the other way, both teams are 3-3 and the Steelers would be ranked ahead of the Falcons. But, as we know, the coin toss did NOT go that way, and now Atlanta is ranked 11 spots ahead of Pittsburgh? Huh? Please, please, please explain that to me.

Pats fans are worse then Yankee fans, if their team isn't considred one of the top 3 teams in the land they get all up in a huff. This Pats team will lose monday and again to Indy, and maybe even to the JETS if the JETS continue to be really lucky, but probally not. So stop loving the Pats, even 4th is a little high for them but I guess some people just can't get over some teams reputations.

"So much for my attempt to be ahead of the curve in proclaiming the Panthers as the NFL's No. 2 team. I'm going to have to give this week's title to the Pats, almost by default. (The Colts? Save it.)"

And now . . . flip that.

Nothing wrong with changing your mind in the face of new evidence. But neither team has played any games between then and now.

So who changed your mind?

Of course, this is all a matter of subjective fun; whether a ranker think the Colts or the Pats are better depends at least as much on the ranker had a good day or not as it does on anything objective. And the Colts are a hard team to figure this year, so they're susceptible to all kinds of this sort of thing. The Bears just as much so, ladies and gentlemen, as proven a week ago Monday, but Rankings Inertia is a powerful thing: the Bears are above the Colts because they were there before the Arizona game, and they haven't actually lost since then.

My ranking:

Group A:Bears Colts (issues on defense)Patriots

Group A-1: Broncos

Group B (in approximately but not exactly this order):BengalsSaintsGiantsVikingsChargersFalcons

Group C (the mediocre teams--no attempt at ranking made, since mediocre is mediocre)

Group D (in approximately this order):Redskins49ersPackersBuccaneersTexansTitans

The Bears don't belong at top. No NFC team belongs at top. This has become like the AFC in the 90's - we all know, no matter who makes it in, that the AFC team is going to win it all, or it will take a miracle for the NFC team to win.

Prohibitive favorites:1. Denver (NE can't beat them, even better D than Bears).2. Patriots (can win SB if they don't have to play Denver in the playoffs somehow)

Super Bowl maybe, Super Bowl win, never:3. San Diego Marty will kill their chances before the SB I think. Coached by Belicheck or Shanahan, this is an SB team easy.4. Bears: unless they face the Chargers in SB. I don't care if they go undefeated, Belicheck isn't going down like Dennis Green.

Contenders who could get lucky:5. Falcons: Would get killed by a 1 for 21 passing effort from Vick in the most overhyped single player/game combo of history.6. Saints: will be so happy just to get in the playoffs, I doubt they will make it far.7. Ravens/Bengals/Steelers: the AFC North mess of teams that could put it together in the playoffs (and in the reg. season for Pitt) with a hot QB/Defense combo.8. Eagles: the NFC Bills. As a Bills fan, this thrills me. What would the line be on an Eagles/Patriots SB? I think Simmons would start writing about his new Ferrari after this game.

Connect With Me

Quickish

About This Blog

DanShanoff.com is a sports-blog spin-off of my long-time ESPN.com column, "The Daily Quickie." Anchored by an early-morning post of must-know topics, the blog is updated frequently throughout the day with new posts and user comments.